Direction-signal for motor-vehicles.



W. B. JOHNSTON.

DIRECTION SIGNAL FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE25, 1912.

' 1,048,702. Patented Dec.31,1912.

L3 5 f t-Y UNITED STATES PAZPENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM BEVLIE JOHNSTON, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, AS SIGNOR 0F ONE-TENTHT0 WILLIAM B. DANIEL, 0F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

, Specification 'of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

Application filed June 25, 1912. Serial No. 705,756.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. JOHN STON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Richmond,'in the county of Henrico and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDirection- S'ignals for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to devices to be applied to motor vehicles toindicate to vehicles approaching or following the motor vehicle thedirection that will be taken by the vehicle. to the right and the leftto prevent collisions, and has for its object the provision of a signallocated adjacent to the driving seat of the vehicle and adapted to beoperated by the chauffeur for the purpose stated, and consists of ashaftthat is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings and adapted to alsomove longitudinally against the resistance of a suitable spring fordisplacing a collar secured to the shaft from engagement with anengaging nut to hold the shaft in adjusted positions.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side view of a fragment of i an automobile showing myimproved signal in position thereon; Fig. 2, an enlarged view of thesignal showing it pointed in one direc tion; Fig. 3, a 'similar viewshowing the signal pointed in an opposite direction; Fig. 4, a detailview of the lower portion of the signal staff shown in Fig. 1; partly insect-ion; Fig. 5, a top plan view of the casing secured to the vehicle;Fig. 6, a bottom plan view of the collar secured to the staff; and Fig.7, a view of a modified form secured to an inclosed vehicle.

In the drawings similar reference characters will be used to designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, A indicates a motor vehicle of the ordinarytype having the running board B mounted thereon, on

which is secured acasing 1 in any suitable manner, and having a recess 2therein in which is secured the lower endof a tubular per wall of therecess 2, the said upper wall of the recess 2 being provided with anopening 6 through which the staff 3 extends. The upper surface of thecasing 1 is provided with a plurality of radial grooves 7 extending fromthe opening 6 outwardly to the periphery of said casing, and mountedonthe lower end of the staff 3 is a collar 8 secured to said staff bymeans of a set screw 9 or other suitable engaging member, and having itslower surface provided with a plurality of radial beads or projections10 that are adapted to seat in the grooves 7. 11 indicates a tubularmember that is slidably mounted on the staff 3 and secured thereto inadjusted positions by means of a suitable set screw 12 and havingsecured to its upper end the light box 13 that is illuminated in anysuitable manner, preferably bymeans of an incandescent globe, (notshown), and supplied with electric current through the Wires 14 thatextend through the tubular staffs 3 and the member 11. Secured to andextending from one side of the light box signal staff 3 and having ahandle 18 extending radially therefrom, said collar being arrangedconveniently to the seat of the driver for manual operation of saidstaff. 19 indicates an arm extending from collar 8 that may be used tooperate the staff 3 by foot power.

In operation, it will be apparent that when the direction signal 15 is1n the position shown in Fig. 1 that it will "indicate that the vehiclewill proceed straight ahead. Should the occupants of the vehicle desireto turn either to the right or. i the left, before doing so, the driverwill indicate his desire by the direction signal, said indication beingaccomplished by grasping the hand lever 18 'and lifting it and thestaff? against the resistance of the spring 5 which will remove theprojections 10 from engaging the grooves 7 and he may then turn thestaff either to the right or the left as he may desire, and the signalwill then be placed so as to indicate to approaching or followingvehicles, the intention of the occupants of the vehicle to turn from thepath that they are following, and when the staff reaches the properposition, the spring 5 will depress the stafl 3 so that the projections10 on the collar 8 will again seat in the grooves 7 in the casing 1.When the signal is set to indicate an intention to turn either to theright or the left, it will be apparent that when operated in the daytime, that the signal member 15 will be sufiicient to warn the vehiclesapproaching or following the vehicle on whlch is secured the signal,while at night the colors on the two sides of the light box 13, inaddition to the light shining on the two sides of the signal 15 throughthe front side of the light box, will operate to give warning to othervehicles.

In Fig. 7 I have shown my improved signal mounted on an inclosed vehicledesignated C and adapted to be operated from the interior of thevehicle, said signal being mounted on the roof of the vehicle by meansof a casing 21 constructed similarly to the casing 1 and having asignal-staif 22' rotatably and slidably mounted in said casing 21 with acollar 23 secured thereto, said collar and easing having their engagingsurfaces provided with projections and grooves respectively asheretofore-described, with regard to the collar and easing shown inFigs. 1 to 6. 24 indicates the light box in Fig. 7 and 25' the directionsignal. 26 indicates the operating staff 'adjustably mounted in thestaff 22 by means of the set screw 27 and having a collar 28 securedthereto with an ope-rating arm 29 extending laterally therefrom,saidstaff 26 being justablymounted in staff 22 to locate the operatingarm 29 conveniently to the driver.

The signal in Fig. 7 is operated in the same manner as the signalheretofore described in Figsl to 6, and a repetition of the Idescription; contained therein is to be necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combinationwith a motor' vehicle,

not deemed a casing secured to said vehicle and having a recess therein,a stafl rotatably mounted in said casing, the staff being providedwith alateral flange within said recess, a spring engaging said flange and theend wall of said recess, the upper surface of said caslng being providedwith radialgroove-s, a collar secured to said staff and having radial arecess therein,a staff rotatably mounted in said casing, the staff beingprovided with a lateral flangewithin said recess, a sprang engaging saidflange and the end wall of said recess, the upper surface of said caslngbeing provided with radial grooves, a collar secured to said staff andhaving radial projections adapted to seat in the grooves in the casing,a tubular member ad ustably secured to said staff, a direction signalsecured to said tubular member, a collar secured to the staff, and anoperatingarm secured to said collar.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BEVLIE JOHNSTON. Witnesses? JNo. S. HARRISON,

E. P. BUx'roN.

